Anything at All
by Dara Tavar
Summary: Martha May has finally had it. The Grinch left her because of her relationship with the mayor and keeping him on the side. But now he's at the festival and Augustus has mistreated her Grinch for the last time. She's going to let him have a piece of her mind, then convince the Grinch to take her back...but was an offer to do anything he wants really the best decision? R&R please! :)


**Okay, so this is another option to what could have happened during the festival scene in _"Soon,"_ my first How the Grinch Stole Christmas story. I actually came up with the basic idea and a rough version of the conversation a while ago, but I misplaced the paper and only recently found it again (and until I looked back through _"Soon,"_ I thought it was my idea for the sequel, but I guess that paper has been misplaced indefinitely and I'll have to come up with a new idea). On top of that, there's a lot going on in my life right now that's kept me from doing too much fan writing.**

**Well, I'll stop taking up your time and just let you get on with the story. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed coming up with and writing it. Enjoy!**

**DT**

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**Anything at All**

"The gift of a Christmas shave," Augustus said with a mean smile as the Grinch pulled a razor out of the gift box he'd just been handed.

Martha May saw the unhappy look on the Grinch's face, almost one of horror, and knew without a doubt that he was remembering back to all those years ago when he'd been humiliated by Augustus when they'd been in school. Her temper snapped then and she stepped forward, grabbing the razor from the Grinch's hands and shoving it back into the infuriating mayor's. "Oh, shove it up your—"

A chorus of gasps rang through the square, drowning out her next words, but parents still clasped their hands over the ears of their children.

"Augustus," she finished.

Shocked faces stared up at her, unable to believe what they'd just heard (and what they hadn't heard), but she merely looked out at them in irritation, frowning.

"What?" she asked them all. "Someone finally had to say something to him, and I'm tired of dealing with it. He's overbearing, annoying, and quite honestly doesn't deserve to be our mayor. He chased the Grinch off when we were just children, being cruel to a poor little boy who was different than the rest of us, and driving him to run away out of hurt feelings. The Grinch didn't deserve to be treated like some kind of laughingstock—he was a kind little boy who only wanted someone to love him." She looked back at the Grinch and gave him a small smile in response to his wide eyes.

Suddenly, she turned back to the crowd and pointed to them all in a sweeping gesture. "And don't pretend like you haven't wanted to say the same thing to him. Even Creepy over there, who kisses Augustus' butt on a daily basis—even he's wanted to just tell the man off! But no one would do it because Augustus is the mayor. Well, I'm tired of it. Get some backbone Whos, and stand up for yourselves when he's mistreating you…" she trailed off, turning to look at the Grinch. "I know it's taken me a long time…much longer than it should have…"

The Grinch gave her a look that said he agreed with her…full-heartedly.

Augustus stuttered, moving forward as if to say something to Martha May, but she merely pushed him aside, ignoring the way his jaw dropped and eyes widened, her gaze still locked on the Grinch as she moved to him.

"Take me back, Grinchie…please. I can't stand it anymore; I love you and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought that we needed to hide from everyone, and that I had to pretend to date _him_…I should have just wanted you and I am _so_ sorry that it took me this long to figure all of that out." She laid her hands on his chest, eyes pleading as she looked into the face of the Who she loved the most. "I don't care who knows about us or what they say, I just want to be with you! Please forgive me…but whatever you decide, don't make me go back to him," she cried, pointing back at the still shocked Augustus as she clung to the Grinch. "I'm begging you; I can't stand being around him or Creepy anymore…they freak me out. And I can't stand being away from you. I'll do anything you want me to…run away with you to the mountains, hide up in your cave forever—whatever you want; anything at all. Just please, don't leave me again!"

A few whispers slipped through the crowd of onlookers, but for the most part they just looked on Martha May embracing the Grinch in silence, eager to know what would happen next.

The Grinch arched one brow, lifting a hand to stroke his chin as he looked down at her, his cunning mind hard at work. "Anything I want, huh? Anything _at all_?" he asked slowly.

"Yes, anything," she replied immediately.

He was quiet for a moment, thinking it over with great care. "So…if I asked you to shave your head, would you do it?"

She touched her hair, eyes widening at the thought, but shook off her hesitation. "I'd do it…just for you."

"Grow green fur? So that we would match," he said, a little quicker this time around as he started to get more into the idea of having any of his wishes, desires…fantasies come true.

She frowned a little at the question, uncertain. "I'd try to, but I won't make any promises. I'm not sure that I'd be able to do it…"

"Close enough," he murmured with a shrug before continuing on with his next suggestion. "Would you eat garbage with me?"

"Really?" she asked, a hint of whining in her voice as she looked up at him.

"Yes." The words were out of his mouth immediately.

She bit her bottom lip lightly, then gave a half nod. "For you, I'd learn to love it."

A light came to his eyes then, and she knew that whatever it was he planned to say next wasn't going to be good. "Run around naked?"

Her eyes grew wide as saucers and she moved an inch closer to him. "Here?" she squeaked with concern.

"Of course."

She looked around at the people gathered close enough to hear what he was saying; watching as whispers travelled back through the people so everyone knew his latest request. Children's eyes were covered, and some people looked away…but others continued to watch with newfound interest in their expressions. "In front of everyone?" she asked in a whisper, pressing even closer to the Grinch when she noticed several heated looks run up and down her body. She went a little pale.

The Grinch looked around, sending a few dark looks to the Whos eying his woman like she was a dish of candy they couldn't wait to sink their greedy little hands in. when he returned his gaze to her though, he acted as though he hadn't noticed, or it hadn't bothered him, even going so far as to smile at her…a bit mischievously. "If I asked nicely?"

"Can we at least send the children away first?"

He thought about it for a moment, catching a glimpse of the kind-hearted Cindy Lou Who out of the corner of his eye, before giving her a shrug. "Sure. Why not?"

She bit her lip once more, then let out a sign of resignation. "Alright then…"

"Wait on me hand and foot for the rest of my life, as though I were a king and you just a lowly servant girl…there to do my every bidding, and run at my every call…" he said in his most high-and-mighty voice. He gave her a heated leer, his eyes running over the body he knew as well as his own as he gave her a lecherous grin. He promptly ignored the gasps from the women of the crowd. He knew she would never agree to the ridiculous demands he was making now, but he just wanted to see when her reaction would be.

Martha May gave him a dark look, her lips pressing into a thin line as her eyes narrowed, knowing he was just picking on her now. "You're starting to push it, sweetheart."

The Grinch threw his head back and laughed, finally wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her more firmly against his chest. He pressed a gentle kiss to his nose. "Alright, darling…I was just seeing how long it would take you to stop agreeing to those stupid suggestions. I'd never ask you to do any of that anyways," he promised. He looked deep into her eyes, growing more serious now. "I only want you to do one, little thing…"

"What?" she asked slowly, uncertain of what he did want her to do if it hadn't been anything he'd suggested before, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He leaned in close, his lips brushing over her ear in a gentle caress, to whisper, "Marry me."

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**Leave me a review and let me know what you think about this! Maybe if enough people let me know, I'll do a "part 3" to it...that is, if I can come up with something for it, lol. As always, I love to hear what you guys reading this think (whether you have an account or are just a guest), and if you've got ideas you want me to work on, leave 'em in a comment or send 'em in a message and I'll get to it as soon as I can! Honestly, if it wasn't for all you guys/gals reading (and reviewing! so keep it up!) my stories, I'd have given up on ff a while ago. You all are what keep me going and chasing after my dream of being an author (when my book is done and out there, I'll let you all know and hopefully you'll want to read it)! :D**

**DT**


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